9.30.2012

What better way to kick of a week of Halloween goodness than with the Queen Of All Things Crafty Cleverness' clever cocktail shots! I'm so in love with the color and I bet it tastes divine! Visit this seperate link for the drink labels.

9.28.2012

Sunday starts my Halloweek party! There will be lots of new posts featuring fun Halloween projects to inspire your own parties, a fun giveaway to help your party planning and the reveal of a special zombie-inspired treat table! Today, I thought it would be fun to kick off my Halloween extravaganza with parties that use a fresh, modern color palette...black and white!

By limiting your color scheme to these colors, you can create a sophisticated feel that becomes even more dramatic with pops of colors. A vampire theme with red accents...a monster theme with green accents...the possibilities are endless!

1. I had to rip this party out of my Better Homes & Gardensmagazine and add it to my ever-growing party binder. Check out the green accents...just a pop of color makes the entire table even more interesting.
2. Wants And Wishes' new collection (a steal at $10 at the time of this posting), featured on Pizzazzerie, makes the perfect party starting point.

3. Bump Smitten's Itsy Bitsy Spider may be a baby shower but it is perfect for a little one's Halloween birthday party.

And of course, you gotta feed your guests...sweets are easy to come by, but if you are looking for hearty fare or serving adult palates...

1. Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook'srecipe calls for unusual foods like squid ink pasta and black trumpet mushrooms, but how fabulous would it all look in a big white pasta bowl? Your guests will be throughly impressed.

2. Martha's Sinister Salsa may look ominous but it is chockful of healthy!

3. How about zebra bowtie pasta salad using Marella's pasta? Or serve it warm with red pasta sauce for a serious splash of color?
4. This Black Vodka Ghost Martini by Jay's Catering is spectacular, down to the dry ice presentation.

9.26.2012

I apologize for the delay in posting the Perideau Designs giveaway winner! On Monday, I became a full time student again and had the current giveaway all ready lined up, giving the impression that I've been on top of things. So no more anxiety...who says the first person to enter a giveaway doesn't win!!

Entry #2 Sarah Avila-Ward

The winner has already been emailed and has 48 hours to respond or an alternate will be chosen!

If you haven't noticed, the next giveaway is on and rocking! If you are an HGTV fan then you know all about Monica Pedersen, so check out my giveaway for an autographed copy of her new book. I also had the opportunity to pick her creative brain and ask her about a few party planning tricks she has up her sleeve.

And speaking of giveaways...do you need a new phone? And I mean, a real phone...a touchscreen...without buttons...like my Remarq...which ain't remarqable at all...it's dumb...check out the fabulous Hank & Hunt's giveaway for a HTC One™ X phone! I know...I'm one of 13 people on the planet who haven't upgraded. It has buttons and I just wanted to be able to text when I first got it. Now, it's all I can do from throwing it across the room because I can't see or share photos, or connect online without it shutting down.

9.25.2012

Left photo by Michael Dar. All book photos were taken by myself and additional photos are used with permission: Make It Beautiful: Designs and Ideas for Entertaining at Home, by Monica Pedersen, Agate Midway, May 2012.

When I found out that HGTV star Monica Pedersen had a new book, Make It Beautiful: Designs and Ideas for Entertaining at Home I had to run out and get my hands on it. Monica’s design background led her to become the host and designer on HGTV shows like Designed to Sell and HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. So you know her book would have to be just as fabulous and it is.

Each of the ten chapters is devoted to an entire party and theme, from a fabulous eco-friendly graduation party and a rustic wine-tasting party to a very chic pink baby shower with amazing zebra accents. There are lots of sample recipes, including one from Top Chef fan favorite and All-Star Fabio Viviani.

9.19.2012

Before I launch into today's ramblings...it's time to announce the winner of our Posh Baby Boutique Store PettiSkirt Giveaway...Dntry #33 Christy Germaine

The winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond or an alternate winner will be chosen! Didn't win this time? That's OK, because my Halloween giveaway from Perideau Designs is going on right now! Alrighty, switching gears...

There is a crazy debate over watermarking your photos when they are posted online. Many professional photographers do, so that illegal prints are not made of their photos or they are given credit for their work. Many professional photographers think that's tacky and shameless promotion. Many bloggers don't watermark the photos of their tutorials. Many do. Many party bloggers, especially the big-wigs, don't watermark their party photos. They also have copyrights and lawyers and their work is so well known, readers will catch it. However, many do. Those who don't, argue it takes away from the integrity of the photo. Usually, the big ass ones with your full name and website will.

9.18.2012

You know I had to work in a little Halloween magic and today's giveaway is to inspire you to party fabulous! I believe the two most important elements of your party are your guests' first and last memories...the invite and the party favor! Seriously, I have Pinterest boards called Get The Party Started Right and Send Them Home With A Smile.

Bridgett of Perideau Designsis a mini mogul juggling motherhood. How she does it all is on my list of things to find out. Her lovely shop is a children's gifts and party accessory boutique. She offers a limited range of products to provide her customers with excellent customer service and products. Which means you get her personal treatment!

9.17.2012

I've seen so many amazing posts on the famous 'Pie In A Jar' and with holiday baking in full swing, I finally felt compelled to do my own. Armed with my stash of Lucky Leaf's apple pie filling and store bought pie crust (yeah, like I was going to make my own from scratch), I got to work.

9.14.2012

Time flies when you are super busy and forget to share the little one's cooking party from earlier this summer! I still have a few other parties I worked on to share...slowly but surely!

I believe in telling the party truth...it's not always beautiful dessert tables and sunshine and 100% RSVPs. Sometimes things go awry and the party in your head doesn't turn out that way. But it sure started off fabulously. Printables for a boy cooking party is limited to pizza parties/Italian chef themes. And you know me, I'm all about being different. Plus, the boy is obsessed with Geronimo Stilton. I pinned a bazillion ideas and wanted to do them all, so no set out there would hold all these ideas.

I knew where to start to create our party set...Spaceships And Laser Beams. It's a boy party all the time there. SSLB doesn't do copyrighted characters...everything is custom and unique so we did little mice to represent Geronimo Stilton. The mouse wearing glasses is a shout-out to the boy since he does too. Hubby pointed out that mice in the kitchen is not a good look, remember Ratatouille? That's what the child wanted...that's what he got!

9.12.2012

Before we launch into today's giveaway, we have to announce the Coton Colors winner...entry #114 Candi Tinsley. The winner has already been contacted and has 48 to respond to my email or a new winner will be drawn! Didn't win? That's OK, here's another fabulous chance...

9.11.2012

9.10.2012

When Brooklyn Bride posted about their confetti bar for The Cream Event, it was the coolest, happiest thing I have ever seen. Participants mixed their own confetti! I want one at every party I have...wouldn't this be awesome set up at a wedding? Shower the new couple with confetti! How about a birthday party? After everyone sings happy birthday, shower the recipient with confetti! New Year's Eve Party? Of course! Bachelorette party? Yes, please!

9.08.2012

If you read my blog, you know I love ice cream. I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to it. Every year we host an annual Ice Cream Bash with our friends...here I am setting up for this year's sugar-coma-inducing extravaganza! Nothing says summer like ice cream at a splash pad. I love going to an ice cream shop where they make their own waffle cones and serve me a big scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

9.06.2012

If you have a LEGO® aficionado, check out my Today's Mama post on our first experience with FIRST® LEGO® League! My oldest built a LEGO®-based robot and programmed it to do a series of tasks! There are several levels of leagues from elementary through high school, so check it out!

9.04.2012

To kick off our over-a-month-of-giveaways giveaway, I'm excited to team up again with Coton Colors to kick off a new school year! My southern peeps are well familiar with the company, started in Tallahassee, FL by Laura Johnson in 1995. They design colorful handcrafted pottery, creative giftware and seasonal pieces inspired by the celebrations of life.

With platters and cookie jars, wreaths and frames, the Happy Everything collection offers a range of decor. From seasonal merriment and notable moments to everyday fun and sports-oriented designs, more than 80 total attachment options are easily affixed to Happy Everything bases with the velcro.

Today, I'm getting HAPPY with the Mini Happy Everything platter and School Bus attachment they sent me. Perfect for entertaining, it measures in at 9 1/4 inches square. The new neutral color palette is perfect for every party theme. With their fun assortment of attachments, you can swap them out to fit every occasion.

9.03.2012

Wishing all of you a fabulous Labor Day! I know you've been partying all weekend...we had a big BBQ Sunday and I thought I would share the treats we sent home as party favors.

Ever since I pinned this idea from Lisa Storms, I couldn't wait for the chance to do it myself. My dome lids are just a tiny bit too big to fit snugly on my cups, so I used my new cupcake washi tape from Downtown Tape to tape them on. Add a wooden demitasse spoon from Garnishwith a free tag from The Hostess Blog, and you're set! I know, you're welcome.

And for a little more shameless promotion, in case you didn't notice my header, starting tomorrow, I'm hosting the biggest giveaway evah! Every Tuesday from now until mid-October, a new giveaway begins!

You can enter as many as you like, but you'll only be able to win one. But they are all so fun, I know you will want to enter them all! I'm always excited to bring goodies to my readers, and here's a hint...one of the companies I mentioned today will be hooking one of you up! Stay tuned...